Saddles for horseback riding are made of leather and tend to be expensive; consequently, protecting them from exposure to environmental conditions, such as rain, snow, sun and ice, is important. Furthermore, protecting the leather from dust is necessary to prevent the leather from drying out. Also, pests such as mice may gnaw on the leather thereby causing serious damage to the saddle. The nature of leather renders it vulnerable to rain, and tends to stretch when wet, resulting in a distortion of its shape. Furthermore, leather when wet tends to release an odor; moreover, wet leather tends to deteriorate and fray.